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The most important aerospace events in the last year

For humans, who not only go to work, go on vacation and do shopping, but at least sometimes I look up at the sky and think about infinity of space, the 2016 was not in vain. The editors of life have assembled the ten most significant and interesting events in 2016, which occurred in the space industry.

Mission "Eczemas"

European research mission "Eczemas". It's been seven months, and the spacecraft reached the red planet. October 16 was divided from the probe Trace Gas Orbiter undocked the lander "Schiaparelli" and started breaking in the Martian atmosphere. 19 Oct Trace Gas Orbiter successfully stood up to the necessary orbit, and began a slow deceleration in the atmosphere, which will last almost a year.

Lander "Schiaparelli" was not able to land softly on the surface of Mars and broke when hitting it. Most likely, an error occurred in the calculation, the lander did not have time to slow down to the required speed.

However, the international European mission to Mars ExoMars will continue. The ESA Council approved the allocation of $ 350 million to build the Mars Rover "Pasteur", which will go to the red planet in its second mission in 2020. In 2017, we will wait for the results from the beginning of the research probe Trace Gas Orbiter. It is assumed that the received data can scientists explain the origin of methane on the red planet. There is a theory that it is produced living on Mars bacteria.

The Collapse Of "Progress"

1 Dec after the launch of the carrier rocket "Soyuz-U" with transport cargo vehicle "Progress MC-04" 383 seconds of lost telemetry. It happened during the third stage. The ship was irretrievably lost and fell along with the remnants of the rocket in Tuva. This is the first and only Russian loss launches in 2016, because even more offensive.

Cargo spacecraft "Progress MC-04" brought 2442 pounds of cargo and equipment, among which was the food: fresh apples, grapefruits, oranges and spices (adjika, mustard, flour, ketchup and horseradish), designed to improve appetite of astronauts in low gravity conditions.

More importantly, on Board the truck was 710 pounds of fuel, 52 pounds of oxygen and air, 420 liters of water. All this is necessary to sustain life on the International space station. The nearest Russian space cargo ship will travel to the ISS in February 2017.

Falcon 9 first successfully planted on the marine platform

The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX managed to land on the marine platform Of Course I Still Love You after two and a half minutes after launch. Returning the first stage booster is a major breakthrough that will help to reduce the price of subsequent runs. This year already five times has managed to successfully land the rocket Falcon 9.

Now it is small. Elon musk, founder of SpaceX try to launch to space has returned to the stage. When that happens, we can talk about a new step in the history of space exploration.

Mission "Rosetta" is completed

Twelve years ago, on March 2 2004, from Kourou in French Guiana was launched rocket "Ariane 5" space probe "Rosetta" on Board. Ahead of the probe waited ten years for the space and meeting with the comet. It was the first spacecraft launched from Earth, which was to reach the comet, to land on her lander and tell the Terrans a little more about these celestial bodies arriving at the Solar system from deep space.

Despite partly successful landing probe "FILA", the mission "Rosetta" was one of the most successful for the European space Agency. In the fall of the spacecraft "Rosetta" was put on eternal Parking in the surface of the comet. And we offer another look at the touching video, that have been able to learn with Rosetta.

The Falcon 9 exploded on the launch pad

The first of September on the Launchpad in preparation for the start together with the satellite Amos-6 Israeli production exploded and burned the Falcon 9 rocket owned by SpaceX. The final cause of the accident is still not released and are expected in the month of January. Presumably, the accident could lead liquid helium tank which was inside the tank of liquid oxygen. Helium froze a portion of oxygen, which led to the explosion. However, official information yet.

The incident strongly inhibited the development of the space project SpaceX. Still not the launch of the first stage returning from the flight, and the original dates have been set for September. However, the company hopes that in January of 2017 will be able to resume missile tests.

Commissioned the Eastern spaceport

The first pancake, as it should be, it came out with a small lump. The start was postponed for a day due to problems in one of the cables. The spacecraft SamSat-218 is created by students and scientists of Samara state aerospace University, refused to work immediately upon reaching orbit. Among other things, the construction of the East accompany persistent criminal cases of theft, embezzlement and unpaid wages. Recently news came out that the Eastern new year can turn off the light because of debts. As so, there is still the pad for "Angara" to build?

The apparatus of the OSIRIS-REx went into space to nip off a piece from an asteroid and bring it to the Ground.

In September with the help of the carrier rocket Atlas V to the asteroid Bennu (101955) was sent to the spacecraft OSIRIS-REx, weighing 2110 pounds. It is expected that the trip will last seven years.

In 2018, the probe will reach the asteroid, will be released on its orbit and will begin scientific experiments, the final of which will be closer to a space object and sampling of soil from its surface. It is expected that with the help of the robotic arm camera will be able to get from 60 to 2,000 grams of soil.

Technically OSIRIS-REx won't even sit on the surface of Bennu. It just flies so close to the asteroid to within five seconds of contact to do the soil sampling. Then the spacecraft will return to Earth. It is assumed that in 2023 it will land with the soil samples, which will bring in a special capsule.

Juno flew to Jupiter and started the work

The spacecraft "Juno" made up of Jupiter and came to the desired orbit. The unit has successfully completed its five-year journey to the gas giant, to the desired speed, checked and recalibrated their instruments and started to transmit to earth pictures of the amazing beauty. Of course, his main mission is not a photo shoot of Jupiter, and a two-year study of its clouds and polar lights. With Juno, scientists hope to learn more about the origin of the planets, structure and physical properties of its atmosphere and magnetosphere.

Alas, this mission will not last as long as, for example, the mission studying Saturn for several years. In 2018, after completion of all experiments "Juno" will cease to exist in the gas giant's atmosphere.

The Breakthrough Of China

In China, there have been several events that individually do not pull on the "best", but in General very clearly show the General trend: China is rapidly catching up (and in some ways already bypasses) the leaders of the conquest of space and growth while keeping a very serious.

In 2016, China launched its first medium heavy. Missiles of this class until then had, the US and the EU. Moreover, the output load of Chinese "long March 5" is second only to the American Delta IV Heavy and, therefore, will be used for the conquest of the moon and Mars.

Also this year, China successfully launched two month flight, during which they worked in the Chinese space laboratory "Tiangong-2".